LIVERPOOL is becoming the property hotspot of the North, a new report reveals today.

The city is listed aside the plush Cheshire suburbs of Cheadle Hulme and Bramhall as the places where demand for housing is greatest in the region. Estate agents say the market on Merseyside is buoyant, with property selling well in many areas.

Prices in the North West are up by 17pc, compared with a drop of 5pc in the South East, including London.

Across England and Scotland as a whole, prices rose by just 2pc during the past five months, taking the average to &#xA3;147,197.